1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle body reinforcing structure, and more particularly, to a vehicle body reinforcing structure for increasing rigidity of a vehicle body.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, shock-absorbing performance refers to performance that mitigates impact force that occurs when two objects collide.
Recently, stability performance has attracted attention, among items of performance of a vehicle. The stability performance includes shock-absorbing performance at the time of a vehicle collision. In addition, the shock-absorbing performance is a major part of determining marketability of the vehicle. Of course, devices such as airbags and seat belts are used to mitigate impact transmitted to occupants at the time of a vehicle collision. However, the shock-absorbing performance of a vehicle body needs to be improved prior to improving performance of safety devices.
Particularly, in order to improve the shock-absorbing performance regarding a load that is applied to a lateral side of the vehicle, it is necessary to increase rigidity of a center pillar and side members connected with the center pillar, and connection structures between vehicle body constituent elements, which easily disperse loads, are required.
Here, the center pillars are columns that are installed at central portions of left and right sides of the vehicle so as to support a roof, and hold doors. In addition, members, which constitute lateral sides of the vehicle body from a front body to a quarter panel, are collectively referred to as the side members. Typically, among the side members, a side member, which is installed perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is called a cross member, and a side member, which is installed in a forward and rearward direction, is called a side member. Further, the cross member is used to prevent torsion of the vehicle body, and increase rigidity of the vehicle body.
Meanwhile, in the case of the connection structure in the related art in which the side member and the cross members, which are connected with the center pillar, are coupled to the center pillar using flanges, the side member and the cross member may not be rigidly connected to the center pillar, and may not easily disperse a load that is transmitted to the center pillar.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.